Waterproof garments



March 18, 1958 v. M. F. GORDON WATERPROOF GARMENTS Filed Aug. 16, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNE r5 March 1953 v. M. F. GORDON WATERPROOF GARMENTS 2 SheetsShee 2 Filed Aug. 16, 1955 ATTORNEYS wATERPRoor GARMENTS Valerie M. F. Gordon, Kirlihill, Scotland, assignor to V. G. (lnverness) Limited, Kirkhill, Scotland Application August 16, 1955, Serial No. 528,653

Claims priority, application Great Br'tain August 19, 1954 9 Claims. (Cl. 128-439) This invention relates to waterproof sanitary garments and its main object is to provide a garment which will be comfortable and effective in use, and can be used for holding inexpensive gauzeless absorbent pads in position.

According to the present invention the garment comprises a waterproof sheet material base having an inserted strip adapted to extend from front to rear between the legs and side strips bordering the inserted strip and having a looseness or puckering at their free side edges when the garment is laid flat, these side strips being adapted to extend a short distance down the thighs, at least one of said strips continuing to form a rear end portion and extending outwardly to form a wider part at the rear, and supporting means to support the base including means for holding the wider part stretched out transversely. The free side edges of the side strips may have maximum looseness between the legs, this looseness becoming less both forwards and rearwards. This looseness should also be localised at and near said free edges and the side edges of the inserted strip or panel should be free from this puckering.

constructional forms of the invention will now be described by way ofexample with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a garment made in accordance with the invention laid as flat as possible;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the waist belt and attachments;

Figure 3 is a plan view of a modified construction; and

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the construction shown in Figure 3.

A waterproof sheet material base consists of a central inserted strip or panel 1%) between two side strips 13, 14.

The inserted strip is tapered and attached at its side edges 11, 12 by heat welding to the side strips 13, 14 which are integral to form a rear part 15. The edges of the strips at 11, 12 are initially curved e. g. the edge at 11 being curved as shown by the broken line 16. When these curved edges are secured to the edges 11, 12 of the inserted strip 10, the side edges 16, 19 of the strips are given the necessary looseness to fit around the inside upper parts of the thighs. The puckering of the side strips is intended to be to such an extent that the side strips lie flat against the inside of the thighs without the side edges cutting into the thighs.

The side strips are initially made with their inner edges curved, each curve having its centre on the opposite side of the centre line of the garment, and the insert is wider than the distance between the side strips when unattached, whereby when the curved edges are attached to the edges of the insert, these curved edges are straightened which produces the looseness in the side edges of the side strips.

The side strips are integral with the rear portion and have a width between the legs of half to one and a half inches increasing to form a total width of seven to twelve Patented Mar. 18,1958

inches at the rear lower portion which tapers again to three to six inches at the rear upper portion.

The inserted strip should be at least four and a half inches forwards and rearwards from the narrowest part i. e. between the legs and at least one and a quarter inches wide. The inserted strip extends from front top edge to rear lower part and may be about nine to eleven inches in length and one and a half to three inches wide between the legs and may taper to a point at the lower rear portion. The strips increase in width to the part 20 which is the lower rear part when in use, and at the edges of this part are attached elastic ribbons 21, 22 whereby the part 26 is tensioned widthwise across the garment. These ribbons are adjustable by buckles 23, 24 and nonelastic ribbons 27, 28 to the front lower part 30 of the garment so as to tension the garment widthwise also at this part. These ribbons 21, 22 thus form thigh loops and engage comfortably below the buttocks.

The side margins 18, 19 are strengthened by non-elastic ribbons 31, 32 which also continue along the side edges of the rear portion 15 and along the rear upper margin 33. A similar strengthening is provided at the front upper margin 34.

The waist belt 36 has a non-elastic front part 37 the remainder being elastic and adjustable by buckles 38, 39.

Elastic strips 40, 41 connect detachably to the ends of the front upper margin and elastic strips 42, 43 are connected permanently to the belt 36 and to the ends of the rear upper margin 33 and are adjustable by buckles 44, 45. The strips i2, 43 connect to loops 47, 48 comprising part of the strengthening ribbons 31, 32.

The panel 11) could continue to the rear margin 33 and could be the same width or wider or narrower as it approaches the rear margin.

Absorbent pads of a readily disposable nature may be used consisting of a top thin layer of cotton wool and several backing layers of tissue paper. The pad may be cut roughly to the shape of the garment, e. g. slightly tapering from rear to a narrower front. Its front and rear ends may be placed in pockets 5%, 51 which may be provided by sewing nylon mesh over the front and rear ends on the inner side. The pad ends may also be held by press studs for which purpose holes may be formed in the pads, or by safety pins. For example press studs 52 may be carried by pairs of plastic strips 53 attached at their ends to the front edge of the garment and carrying the press studs near their free ends. A similar pair of strips 54 and press stud 55 may be attached to the rear edge. A single strip will be sufiicient and will carry one part of the press stud if the other part is fixed to a reinforced part of the garment. Alternatively, one half of the press stud may be fixed to the pockets 50, 51.

In a modified construction (not shown) the front ribbons 27, 28 are connected respectively to the strips 40, 41 and are together detachably connectable to the upper front corner parts of the sheet material at a distance apart less than the distance apart of the other ends of the strips 49, 41 on the waist band. Thus only two ends require to be handled for fixing and releasing the front end. These joined ends can each be a continuous elastic ribbon doubled upon itself to form a connecting end and provided with two press stud members spaced apart for connection to the corresponding press stud members on the sheet material, these members being preferably on a line inclined in the direction corresponding to the strips 40, 41.

At the rear part of the sheet material the strips 42, 43 cannot be directly connected to the ribbons 21, 22 but can be connected at each side by an additional strip attached to the edge of the sheet material by press studs, this strip at each end being connected respectively to the parts 43, 22 and 42, 21. At each end and at its middle position this strip is connected by a press stud to the sheet material so that it can be readily disconnected from the sheet material together with theribbons 21, 22 and 42,43: J

Thus all the. supporting ribbons can be disconnected by means of the press studs from the sheet material leaving them attached to the waist band.

In the modified construction shown inFigures 3 and 4:

The 'base attaches directly to the belt which encircles the. body, fitting round the tops of the legs below or at the lower part of the abdomen, and must be made of elastic or material with a horizontal stretch. The upper front edge of the ,base can be detachably connected to the lower front edge of the belt by' press studs .60, 61, one at each corner of the edge of the base. Each of lower rear edges of the wider part of thebase (i. e. at 62, 63) has stitched thereto one end of .a piece of elastic or webbing 64, 65 the other end of which is stitched at 71, 72 to the lower edge V of the belt at the side portions thereof. These two pieces are inclined at an angle which varies from about to 65 to the horizontal and serve to hold the wider part of the base stretched apart. The belt 37 is in this case a straight piece of elastic having strengthening pieces 67, 68 at its ends provided with press studs 70. Alternatively the elastic belt need have no centre fastening being made into a simple elastic belt. The upper rear edge of the basecan be stitched permanently to the belt 37 at 74. The supporting pull on the strip or panel 10 is only in directionsat a considerable angle to the vertical which is important for comfortable wear.

The side marginal strips taper to nil at the lower parts 76, 77 of the front portion of the sheet material base.

The front portion of the sheet material base may be widest at its upper edge and tapering to a small width downwardly.

Strengthening ribbons may be provided at the edges of the base and at the pressjstuds or other parts. The stitching may be replaced by other means of permanent or'detachable attachment. The point of connection of each of the lower ends ofthe elastic pieces to the base may be at a position between one third and two thirds from the belt to the lower folded edges of the garment.

; I claim:

j ;1.' A waterproof garment comprising a waterproof sheet material base having a central strip adapted to extend from front to rear between the legs and side strips bordering'the inserted strip and .having a looseness or puckering at their free side edges when the garment is laid flat, these side strips being adapted to extend a short distance down the thighs, at least oneof said strips continuing to form a rear end portion and extending out- 4 wardly to form a wider part at the rear, said central strip being of tapered shape and extending to the front top edge of the garment where the central strip is widest, said side strips being of narrowing width from the widest part of the garment forwardly, said central strip extending from the front top edge to the rear lower part of the garment and supporting means to support the base including means for holding the wider part stretched out transversely. I

2. A garment as claimed in claim 1 wherein the supporting means includes a belt having the rear upper edge of the base'fixed thereto and having means for attach-,

ing the front upper edge of the base connected thereto, and the base is of such size that the belt will engage around the upper parts of the thighs at the lower part of the abdomen below the waist.

' 3. A garment as claimed in claim 1 wherein the free edges of the side strips have maximum looseness between the legs. V

4. A garment as claimed in claim 1 wherein the supporting means exerts a pull on the inserted strip only in directions at a considerable angle v.to the vertical;

5. A garment as claimed in claim 1 wherein the means for holding the wider part stretchedwconsists of ribbons extending around the thighs and attached at their rear ends to the wider part and at their front ends to the front part of therbase. V a a v 6. A garment as claimed in claim 1 wherein the sup porting-means comprises a waist belt, and two front strips and two rear strips depending from the belt connecting to the front upper and rear upper parts of the base.

7. A garment as claimed in claim 1 whereinthe side strips taper to nil at the lower parts ofthe front portion of the base. e V r 8. A garment as claimed in claim 1 wherein the 'front portion of the base is modest at its up er edge and tapers to a smaller width downwardly.

9. A garment as claimed in claim 1 wherein the supporting means includes a belt and the means for holding the wider part stretched consist of. two strips attached at their lower ends to the edges of the wider part and attached at their upper ends ofthe sides of the belt.

' References Cited in the file of this patent France Nov. 8, 19 28 

